Rejoicing in a Death

It makes sense, of course, to rejoice when a boogeyman has been destroyed, and Osama bin Laden has been the worst boogeyman in contemporary American memory. A feeling of relief and catharsis has brought a nation to its feet, cheering with joy. Perhaps tomorrow many will feel sorrow over being so pleased that someone, even someone so evil, has been murdered.

That his murder was necessary is not in question. Neither is the goodness of those who stalked and killed him: what they did was as necessary as building latrines for the health of those they serve with and building relationships with those they strive to serve.

And for many in our nation, this death may be the beginning of a healing. As the Twin Towers collapsed on September 11, 2001 and the word was passed through the airwaves that a terrorist cell was responsible, the worldview of many, many people bent and broke. Because Americans have long believed that we are "safe" and that no harm could come to us on our earth.

The events on 9/11 catapulted the U.S. into a state that most of the world's countries have existed in for decades — the sure knowledge that terror and violence can occur anywhere and anytime. That knowledge was a breaking point for belief systems that relied on safety as its anchor point. For many people, this knowledge created a free-floating anxiety that they didn't understand or even perceive except as a new distrust and a new uncertainty about everything.

I have a good friend who is an example of this. Not only did 9/11 overturn his feelings of sure safety, but it was sharply followed by a moderate collapse of our economy: a double dose of fear to digest.

While I feel sorrow that we rejoice in a death — and even I do to some extent — I hope it helps my friend heal. I hope it helps all of us heal.